Justin Bachman, whose experience with Tourette's Syndrome led him to create an annual Tolerance Fair that draws thousands of participants, is this year's winner of the Maltz Museum of Jewish History's "Stop the Hate" essay contest.

The prize carries a $40,000 scholarship, which Justin, a junior at Solon High School, can add to a number of other awards, including the $50,000 Peace First Prize from the national nonprofit Peace First last fall.

Bachman told the story of his Tourette's in his essay and spoke of his drive to spread tolerance, through speaking engagements in schools and through the fair.

"My long-term goal is to hold Tolerance Fairs in cities across the country," he wrote.

"It's an amazing thing to see a community come together to embrace each other’s

differences. I love the work that I do, but my ultimate goal is for it to one day be unnecessary," he wrote.

Anja BlockMaltz Museum

The first runner up, and winner of a $15,000 scholarship, was Anja Block, a senior at Shaker Heights High School.

She talked about a traffic stop in which her boyfriend, Daniel, was driving her home from a birthday dinner at 10 p.m.

"For the next twenty minutes, the officer made Daniel stand with his hands abovehis head while he escorted me about fifteen feet away from the car to ask mecountless questions about if I had been forced into the car, sexually abused inany way, or if I actually knew the man I claimed as my boyfriend." she wrote.

"After patientlyanswering the officer’s probing questions, I finally got to ask one of my own.'Excuse me officer, but why don’t you believe me?'

'Well young lady,' he said, 'it’s just that you’re a pretty white girl and he’s black.It’s highly possible he was holding you against your will. It’s suspicious that youtwo are driving around at this time of night and actually dating.' ”

"The incident with Daniel made me a more passionate member of SGORR (Student Group on Race Relations), and I truly realized the pertinence of its purpose. Instilling the lesson of the importance of diversity and speaking out against intolerance in young minds is essential for building a community free of racial stereotyping," she wrote.

Chane'l CollinsMaltz Museum

The third place finisher, Chane'l Collins, a senior at Glenville High School who received a $10,000 scholarship, described the scourge of gang violence in her neighborhood. She witnessed her friend being shot.

"I watched my 15 year old friend get shot leaving him brain

dead and unresponsive. "Choo" could no longer walk, speak, or breathe on his own.

The shooter destroyed him. Why? Because he walked down a street he did not

reside on," she wrote.

Choo was picked on for his disabilities, she wrote, and she finally was fed up.

"I lost eight additional friends since the incident. And, it seemed like things were only getting worse. In May of 2012 an anti-bullying organization was formed called 'Team

Choo.' This organization goes to local schools in Cleveland, informing the youth

about black on black crime; also, trying to come up with solutions to decrease the

crime rate," she wrote.

The contest was open to all students in grades six through 12 in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit
counties. Each of the scholarships is paid out over four years of college.

The top 10 essay finishers read their essays Thursday night before about 350 people in the Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall, where a panel of eight community judges determined the winners.

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